Trump and Putin to meet in Alaska Friday for first time since 2018, at a Cold War-era base with deep strategic history. Photo/X.
President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet Friday at an Alaskan military base, Elmendorf-Richardson, a venue that holds Cold War-era significance.
It is the first publicly known in-person meeting between the two leaders since their Helsinki encounter in 2018. Ahead of the summit, Trump tempered expectations, emphasizing cautious optimism.
Also Read: Donald Trump Hints At Putin-Zelenskyy Meet In Alaska – Could Peace In Ukraine Finally Be Possible?
“I believe now Putin’s convinced that he’s going to make a deal. He’s going to make a deal,” Trump said Thursday on Fox News Radio. “We’re going to find out – I’m going to know very quickly.”
Earlier this year, in April, Trump appealed to Putin on social media, urging, “Vladimir, STOP! 5000 soldiers a week are dying. Lets get the Peace Deal DONE!” Despite these calls and ongoing peace talks, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continues unabated.
The session will be hosted at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, in Anchorage, Alaska. Formed in 2010 when the Air Force’s Elmendorf base and the Army’s Fort Richardson were merged.
The platform itself was constructed during the 1940s as an air defense facility and central command center, serving a key function in standing against Soviet incursions. In the 1950s, it sheltered over 200 fighter aircraft and earned the sobriquet “Top Cover for North America” due to its function of flight tracking and monitoring potential foreign foes.
Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson is now the home of the country’s Alaskan Command headquarters, the 11th Air Force Airborne Division, and the Alaskan North American Aerospace Defense Region. The base has more than 32,000 residents, including families, and welcomes community activities like a group yoga class planned for Saturday.
Alaska was purchased from the Russian Empire more than 150 years ago for $7.2 million, which today would be worth in excess of $156 million. It is geographically just across the Bering Strait from Russia, with a slender waterway between the Pacific and the Arctic seas that has been an entry point for adventurers traveling to the northernmost portions of North America.
“Alaska is a great state that is conveniently located geographically for both sides,” a White House spokesperson said of the choice of location. “It was the right place for President Trump to receive President Putin’s invitation to meet.”
Also Read: Trump-Putin Alaska Summit: Full Details On Time, Venue, And Agenda
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
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